Alleviating Back To School Anxiety For Parents/Carers

Sunday is usually 5+5 Activity Guide day for me, but this week I am not sharing a resource guide. Instead I wanted to talk about what is the new school year for many children.

With the end of August is upon us, back to school season is here in many countries across the world. Some children will have returned last week; many more will head back in the coming days. They face many changes to all that is familiar as we continue to try to get to grips with COVID-19.

For some, it has not yet been deemed safe to return and learning at home must continue. For those returning, it is clear we may face school closures and a return to learning at home at any time. By now, most teachers and students have become highly adept at using technology and there are more supports in place in such scenarios. There remain, however, many pupils who lack access to technology and support, for whom attainment gaps are widening, and many parents/carers who feel unsupported and overwhelmed by the challenge of balancing work, running a household and supporting their child’s learning. 

In today’s post, I’d like to address the anxiety this pandemic has wrought upon us around the return to school and speak to some of the concerns parents have raised with me.

I am worried that it is not safe for my child to return.

I have spoken to a few parents who are anxious about sending their child back to school. It is clear that across the globe school leaders have been working as diligently as possible to make the environment as safe as can be for your child’s return. As educators, we place safety to the fore of everything we do.

My best advice in terms of alleviating particular concerns you may have is to address them with your child’s teacher.  It may offer you some reassurance if you can witness for yourself some of the measures in place in terms of spacing of desks, knowing how children will move safely around the school and practise social distancing, being aware of which activities will not be taking place for now and gleaning information in terms of the wearing of masks and what additional health and temperature checks, cleaning and sanitising measures have been introduced.

Things you can do for your own peace of mind:

• Before your child heads back to class, it will be useful to remind him/her of the importance of hygiene and distance protocols.

• If your child will be wearing a mask, does (s)he know how to remove (by the ear loops) and store it safely and hygienically while (s)he is eating etc.? Has (s)he worn it for an extended period such that they are used to it and comfortable with it? Would it be helpful to have a mask with elastic that goes around the head rather than one that is worn behind the ears?

• Remind children that (for now) the swapping and sharing of toys or resources is not allowed.

• If your child/ren are young, it will be helpful if you can ensure that your child is able to open their lunch box, drink bottle and any packets independently and can undo/do up any buttons, zips or fastenings on their clothing or uniform when going to the toilet or for going outdoors.

• To reduce materials going back and forth between school and home, it may be useful for your child to have a pencil case for school and for home. (This will depend on school rules and norms.)

• Playtime is not allowed or is being more regulated in many schools. AS such, some schools are allowing children bring in a reading book, puzzle book, sticker book or a toy to keep them occupied during their free time. My advice here is to ensure that should a toy be selected, it is one that can be easily sanitised. It is advisable this is left in school rather than being brought back and forth, so do not permit your child to bring something of huge sentimental/monetary value in case anything should happen to it. Before sending any such items, please check the school’s guidelines in this area.

• Many schools are staggering start and ending times to facilitate distancing. If you do the drop-off for your child, it will be helpful if you ensure you are on time and move off the school site quickly to enable others to drop/collect their child/ren too. Ensuring pick-ups and drop-offs are quick and efficient is important in terms of minimising lost learning time.

• Children pick up on our anxieties. My advice is to do your best to shield your child from any concerns you may have. Focus on the positives of the return and what (s) he will gain from it. It is important to empower our children to be responsible in terms of looking after themselves without making the prospect of a return to school worrying for them.

• If there are particular issues that mean school return is posing additional anxieties for you, e.g., your child is vulnerable to illness, there is a high-risk person at home, you have lost a relative to COVID etc., then without a doubt make an appointment to hold an online meeting discuss additional measures that may be necessary.

I am worried that my child has fallen behind in their learning.

This one is easy – don’t worry!

Teachers are used to assessing where children are at and building on from there. All children have faced similar disruption in the past few months. While some invariably will have had more support and opportunities than others, all teachers will focus on finding out where your child is currently at and what the next steps in their learning will be. Much learning will have taken place at home, so please don’t underestimate the value of this. 

Parents/carers are each child’s primary teachers. You know your child better than anyone at school. If there are particular things you noticed during the learning at home period (concerns you may have/ interests your child developed or achievements (s)he enjoyed), please share these so that concerns can be addressed, interests built on and achievements celebrated.

My child is anxious about going back to school.

I wrote about this issue some time ago when schools in Malaysia began to reopen. You can find some guidance on behaviours you may notice and hints on addressing your child’s concerns in this post. It contains a free Back to School social story that you may wish to use as a basis for discussing some of the changes your child might expect to see at school. I have added a link to that story here.

I hope this has offered some small measure of reassurance and wish your child/ren success, good health and happiness in the academic year ahead. If you have particular questions around supporting your child’s return to school/learning, don’t hesitate to ask. 

Take care and stay safe all!